Efficient media establishment for WebRTC call center agents

Abstract

Connecting agent to customers is the cornerstone of contact center operations. When a customer is connected to an agent for real-time communications (e.g., voice), they can be particular sensitive to any delay, such as the delay to establish a media channel between the agent's endpoint and the customer's device. By establishing a media channel between the agent's device and a server having initially received the communication, the communication may be attached to the existing media channel without requiring the time and resources otherwise necessary to establish the media channel. Additionally, if a problem or failure occurs, a server utilized for the connection may seek to establish the media channel with a second network, such as a telephone network, or a second agent endpoint or endpoint component.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a server comprising a network interface to a first network; 
 wherein the server receives a media request, via the first network, from an agent endpoint to establish media connectivity over a media channel; 
 wherein the server, in response to receiving the media request, signals the agent endpoint to initiate media connectivity negotiations; 
 wherein the server, in response to the agent endpoint initiating media connectivity negotiations, performs media connectivity negotiations with the agent endpoint via a signaling channel; 
 wherein the server, in response to the agent endpoint successfully negotiating media connectivity, establishes a media channel with the agent endpoint, wherein the media channel is distinct from the signaling channel; 
 wherein the server, after establishing the media channel and upon subsequently receiving a first communication from a first customer communication device, connects the agent endpoint to the first customer communication device utilizing the media channel; and 
 after the first communication has terminated, a second customer communication from a second customer communication device is connected to the agent endpoint utilizing the media channel previously established. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server receives a login request from the agent endpoint, the login request comprising the media request. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server signals the agent endpoint to initiate media connectivity negotiations comprising a Session Description Protocol (SDP) answer. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media connectivity negotiations comprise Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) negotiations. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media connectivity negotiations comprise trickle Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) negotiations. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server establishes the media channel with the agent endpoint comprising a second network different from the first network. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the second network comprises at least one of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a cellular telephony network. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the server the server establishes the media channel with the agent endpoint comprising the second network, upon the media channel failing with the first network. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the media channel failing with the first network is determined by a failure to successfully exchange a previously determined number of message packets with the agent endpoint over a previously determined period of time and wherein message packets exchanged with the agent endpoint comprise at least one of Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translation (STUN) or real-time transport protocol control protocol (RTCP). 
     
     
       10. A method, comprising:
 receiving a media request, via a first network, from an agent endpoint to establish media connectivity over a media channel; 
 in response to receiving the media request, signaling the agent endpoint to initiate media connectivity negotiations; 
 in response to the agent endpoint initiating media connectivity negotiations, performing media connectivity negotiations with the agent endpoint via a signaling channel; 
 in response to the agent endpoint successfully performing media connectivity negotiations, establishing a media channel with the agent endpoint, wherein the media channel is distinct from the signaling channel; 
 after establishing the media channel and upon subsequently receiving a first communication from a first customer communication device, connecting the agent endpoint to the first customer communication device utilizing the media channel; 
 terminating the first communication; and 
 connecting a second customer communication, from a second customer communication device, to the agent endpoint utilizing the media channel previously established. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising receiving a login request from the agent endpoint, wherein the login request comprising the media request. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the media channel comprises a server between the agent endpoint and each of the first customer communication device and the second customer communication device and wherein the server signals the agent endpoint to initiate media connectivity negotiations comprising a Session Description Protocol (SDP) answer. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the media connectivity negotiations comprise Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) negotiations. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the media connectivity negotiations comprise trickle Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) negotiations. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , wherein a server establishes the media channel with the agent endpoint comprising a second network different from the first network. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second network comprises at least one of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a cellular telephony network. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 establishing the media channel with the agent endpoint comprising the second network, upon the media channel failing with the first network; and 
 wherein the media channel failing with the network is determined by a failure to successfully exchange a previously determined number of message packets with the agent endpoint over a previously determined period of time and wherein message packets exchanged with the agent endpoint comprise at least one of Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translation (STUN) or real-time transport protocol control protocol (RTCP). 
 
     
     
       18. A communication device, comprising:
 a processor; 
 a network interface to a network; and 
 a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer readable instructions, the processor executing the one or more computer readable instructions to:
 send, via the network, a media request for media connectivity with a server; 
 receive, in response to the media request, a signal to initiate media connectivity negotiations via a signaling channel; 
 negotiate, in response to the signal, media connectivity negotiations with the server and, as a result, establish a media channel with the server via the network, wherein the media channel is distinct from the signaling channel; and 
 serially receive, conduct, and terminate each, of a plurality of communications with a corresponding plurality of customer communication devices, wherein each of the plurality of communications is conducted utilizing the established media channel. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The communication device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor executes instructions to provide a login request to the server, wherein the login request comprises the media request. 
     
     
       20. The communication device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor executes instructions to, upon receipt of a signal from the server, initiate media connectivity negotiations comprising a Session Description Protocol (SDP) answer.